IIT Madras Principal Project Officer Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online

IIT Madras has one contract post of Principal Project Officer in its Department of Electrical Engineering. The pay is Rs.1,20,000/- to Rs.1,50,000/-. The officer will help run a shared nanofabrication facility used by faculty, MS/PhD students and other users. You need a Master's degree in engineering with 10 years of experience, a Master's degree in science with 15 years, or a Ph.D. with 3 years. Applications close on 12 November 2026.

IIT Madras Principal Project Officer Recruitment 2026 Overview

The official notification does not specify the age limit or the application fee.

About IIT Madras IC&SR

The Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai – 600 036, handles hiring for sponsored projects at the institute. This post is in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and Prof. Shanti Bhattacharya is the co-ordinator. The job is to help run a shared nanofabrication facility for faculty, MS/PhD students and other users. The notice links to a page about CNNP for more information.

IIT Madras Principal Project Officer Vacancy Details 2026

The post is temporary and is based at IIT Madras, Chennai.

IIT Madras Principal Project Officer Eligibility 2026

Cut-off date

All eligibility conditions are checked as on the closing date for online applications, 12 November 2026.

Educational qualification and experience (mandatory)

You need one of these:

• A Master's degree in engineering with 10 years of experience
• A Master's degree in science with 15 years of experience
• A Ph.D. with 3 years of experience

Only relevant experience gained after the minimum qualifying degree is counted.

Technical experience, capabilities and skills

• Technical experience: Hands-on familiarity with fabrication processes and equipment, such as lithography, deposition, wet or plasma etching, thermal processing, or metrology.
• Core capabilities: Cleanroom safety, SOP implementation, maintenance and troubleshooting, staff and user coordination, and technical documentation.
• Professional skills: Strong organization, communication and practical problem-solving, and proficiency in spreadsheets and reporting tools.

Preferred (not mandatory)

• 3–5 years of relevant and exclusive experience in a semiconductor nanofabrication cleanroom facility will be considered an added advantage.
• Experience managing, or helping to manage, a shared research or fabrication facility, including vendor coordination, facility administration and funded-project reporting.

Nationality and relaxations

You must be a citizen of India. Persons who migrated from Pakistan intending to settle permanently in India, and subjects of Nepal, are also eligible. They will need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India, applied for through the Ministry of Home Affairs. For exceptionally outstanding candidates, the minimum qualification and/or experience can be relaxed. For SC/ST candidates, the institute may relax the experience requirement if not enough candidates from these communities with the required experience are likely to apply.

The prescribed qualifications are the minimum. Having a higher qualification does not by itself get you an interview call. Check the official notification for the full eligibility details of the post.

Duties of the Principal Project Officer

The Principal Project Officer will take substantial responsibility for day-to-day technical and operational management. The work is done with faculty and technical staff to support safe, reliable and efficient fabrication and characterisation activities.

• Facility operations: Coordinate daily activities, equipment bookings, user access and competing requests, and tell users clearly when equipment is available or down.
• Equipment reliability: Support troubleshooting and preventive maintenance, keep service records, and coordinate vendors, repairs and spare parts.
• Safety and protocols: Implement cleanroom and laboratory safety procedures, maintain SOPs, support user induction, and make sure established protocols are followed.
• Staff and user coordination: Work with technical staff, students, faculty and external users, and organise training and equipment authorisation with the responsible teams.
• Records and administration: Maintain usage logs, inventory and consumables records, and support procurement documentation, billing and payment follow-up.
• Project documentation: Prepare technical and progress reports, track deliverables, and maintain financial and supporting records with the project and administrative teams.
• Stakeholder communication: Deal with faculty, vendors, external users and funding-agency or ministry officials, and support meetings and project reviews.
• Operational improvement: Find recurring process and coordination gaps, and improve scheduling, documentation and service continuity.

Important Dates

Selection Process

• Candidates are shortlisted for a test and/or interview based on the information in their online applications.
• The institute may limit the number of candidates called for a written test, skill test or interview to a reasonable number. It decides this on qualifications, on experience that is higher in level and more relevant than the minimum, and on other academic achievements.
• The institute decides how applicants are screened and tested for shortlisting and selection.
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. All contact is by e-mail.
• Applicants already working in any project at IIT Madras must apply through proper channel. Otherwise they must produce a No-Objection Certificate at the document verification, test or interview. Without it, they will not be allowed to appear.

Service Conditions

• The post is temporary and purely on contract.
• Duration: initially one year, later extendable based on performance.
• Completing the contract gives no right to further extension, regularization or permanency at the institute.
• Work location: IIT Madras, Chennai.
• Documents and antecedents may be verified at any time, including during service. Services are liable to be terminated if documents are fake or information was suppressed.

How to Apply for IIT Madras Principal Project Officer Recruitment 2026

1. Open the application questionnaire (Google Form) and fill it in. Provide your updated CV, your relevant qualifications and experience, and when you can join.
2. Register and apply online on the IC&SR current openings page. Find advertisement number Advt.225/2026 and submit the application for this position. Only applications submitted through the official IC&SR portal will be considered.
3. Give a correct, active e-mail address, because the institute sends all correspondence by e-mail only.
4. Check every entry before you submit. Once submitted, the application cannot be edited or reverted. Do not apply twice for the same post: multiple applications from one candidate are liable to be rejected.
5. Print the submitted application form. Do not post a hard copy to the institute.

Documents to keep ready

• Printout of the online application, required at the document verification, test or interview
• Updated CV, with proof of qualifications and experience
• No-Objection Certificate, if you already work in a project at IIT Madras and did not apply through proper channel
• Testimonials (optional) from people who know your work and character well. If you are employed, the referee should be your most recent employer or immediate superior.

Canvassing in any form will be a disqualification. Corrigenda or clarifications will be posted only on the website. For technical problems with submitting the application, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected], or call 044- 2257 8843 (9.00 AM to 05.30 PM, Monday to Friday, except National Holidays).

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